


Shark Attacks Just Don't Happen

by myglassesaredirty



Series: Wounds Heal (but Only Sometimes) [1]
Category: Psych
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fighting, Gen, Hospitals, Sharks, fear of the ocean, it starts off with fluff but do not be fooled, shark attack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-02-28 12:56:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18756862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myglassesaredirty/pseuds/myglassesaredirty
Summary: Shawn Spencer watched Jaws 4. Now, if we're all being honest, it is the worst sequel ever created in the history of ever. Except he's scared, and he doesn't want to get in the ocean.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!! I was watching The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Episode the other day (I mean, like. Weeks ago), and the cold open made me think…what if Shawn had been attacked by a shark? I'll write a sequel to this fic in time, based in the actual episode tag, but I haven't yet gone back through it. We'll get there. I am Trying My Best.

He is so sick and tired of criminals. He’s sick and tired of their disrespect for the law, he’s sick and tired of their disrespect of  _ him, _ but most of all, he’s sick and tired that they keep him from spending time with his family. Herb always makes him fill out every last morsel of paperwork before he gets to go home to his wife and son, and on difficult days, he has to stay late.

 

When he gets home, he sees the wrapped sandwich lying on the kitchen table, along with a note from Maddy. He sighs heavily, hangs his police hat on the hatstand, and walks over to the kitchen table. In Maddy’s chicken scratch, she’s written:  **_Didn’t know what time you were getting in. If you don’t want the sandwich for dinner, there’s some soup in the fridge. Shawn had a rough day today. You should talk to him about it when you get the chance._ **

 

Henry sighs and runs a hand through his thinning hair. He knew Maddy had a conference coming up, but he really hopes that she hasn’t left for it yet. After all, it is in three days. It’s not like she can’t afford to talk to her husband.

 

He sits down heavily, unwraps the sandwich, and takes an angry bite out of it, but his anger dissipates when he tastes Maddy’s world-famous BLT.  _ Who needs marriage counseling anyway, _ he thinks to himself, chewing on the heavenly bacon,  _ when your wife still makes you your favorite sandwich? _ He shakes his head, stands back up, and pours himself a glass of water.  _ You know, when I get back to work, I’m going to ask Herb to cut back on my hours. Maybe Maddy and I can fix this. _

 

Once he finishes his sandwich, he tosses the seran wrap in the trash can and trudges up the stairs. The light’s still on in his bedroom, though that could mean that Maddy just left it on for him and isn’t still up. Though, he reminds himself, the more likely scenario is that she’s preparing for the conference, and she’s nervously braiding and unbraiding her hair.

 

Before he heads to his bedroom, he decides to check on Shawn. He gently twists Shawn’s doorknob and pushes the door open, just enough to see Shawn lying with his face pressed into the pillow. His shoulders twitch occasionally with whatever nightmare’s playing out through his mind, and he gasps sharply, startling awake. Shawn pushes himself up with shaky arms, then looks around the room, noticing that more light is streaming into his room than he’s used to. He twists around, blinks groggily, and whispers, “Dad?”

 

Henry nods and steps into the room. “I just got home about five minutes ago.” He hooks his thumbs through his belt loops, for lack of something better to do with his hands. “You doing okay?”

 

Shawn nods and rubs his nose. “Yeah.” He shrugs. “Just had a bit of a nightmare, that’s all.” He tries to smile at his dad. “How was your day?”

 

Henry smiles softly, crosses over to Shawn’s bed, and sits on Shawn’s bed. The mattress dips under his weight. “Lousy,” he says, reaching out and ruffling Shawn’s hair. “There was nothing that interesting today, except for I solved that one case I was telling you about earlier this week.”

 

Shawn furrows his brow and looks at his covers, picking at the seam. “You mean the robbery case?”

 

Henry nods. “Yeah. That’s the one.” He sighs. “It was fun to solve it, but the chief slammed me with so much paperwork that I felt like I was drowning.”

 

Shawn flinches as soon as his father mentions drowning.

 

Henry furrows his brow and leans closer to Shawn. “Hey, what is it?”

 

Shawn shrugs. “I kept dreaming that I was drowning. But it wasn’t–” he tilts his head to the side and studies the wall opposite him. “It wasn’t like something was weighing me down, you know? It was like something kept shoving me under again and again.”

 

Henry nods along slowly. “You were  _ being _ drowned, you weren’t actually drowning.”

 

Shawn nods quickly and points at his father. “Yeah, yeah, that’s what it was!” He sniffles and looks back down at his covers. “I don’t know why I even had that dream.”

 

Henry sighs and nudges Shawn with his shoulder. “I suspect you have an idea.” He rests his hand on the top of Shawn’s head and gently shakes him. “But whatever it was, it’s not real, okay?” He kisses Shawn’s head and pats his shoulder. “Alright. Get back to bed, champ.”

 

Shawn lies back down and pulls the covers up to his chin. “G’night, Dad.”

 

Henry stands up. “Goodnight, Shawn.” He closes the door behind him, stares at his own bedroom door, tries to square his shoulders, and walks inside.

 

Maddy looks up from her side of the bed, where papers are scattered everywhere. “Henry,” she says, quickly undoing her braid. “I wasn’t expecting you till midnight.”

 

Henry shrugs, spreading his hands, and looks around the room. “Guess I got here earlier than expected.” He unbuttons his police shirt. “How was work today?” He stops unbuttoning his shirt, looks to his right, and huffs out a humorless laugh. “You know what, Mad? I’m tired of all this small talk.”

 

She smiles sadly at him. “Well, what do you want to talk about, Henry? People run out of things to say eventually.”

 

Henry purses his lips and shakes his head. “Shawn doesn’t,” he says simply, resuming his task of unbuttoning his shirt. He takes it off, slips into the closet, and puts it on its rightful hanger.

 

Maddy sighs and leans against the headrest. “Well, he has ADHD, Henry. Along with him always moving around, it means that he just won’t shut up.”

 

Henry grabs the back of his collar and pulls his undershirt over his head. “The point remains, he never runs out of things to talk about. You implied that everyone runs out of things to say eventually.”

 

Maddy shakes her head. “And Shawn ends up repeating himself a lot.” She looks into the closet and sighs. “It’s not a failure on either of our parts, Henry. It doesn’t mean that our marriage is doomed.” She lifts one shoulder in a half shrug. “It just means that…we don’t have anything to talk about. For now.”

 

Henry emerges from the closet and grabs his robe. “Well, let’s pretend we’re back in the days of our youth.” He lets himself flop onto the mattress, hoping Maddy had enough warning that her papers don’t go flying. He props himself up on his elbow. “Back in the days we were dating. Not married, just dating.” He grabs her hand and pulls it close to his lips, fluttering his eyelashes at her.

 

Maddy laughs softly and shakes her head fondly. “A lot’s changed since then, Henry.”

 

Henry shakes his head and rolls over onto his back. “Put away your papers. Just give me twenty minutes.”

 

Maddy purses her lips. “Fifteen.”

 

Henry flashes a grin at her. “Deal.”

 

Maddy rolls her eyes, gathers up her papers, and sets them all on the nightstand next to her. She lies on her back next to Henry, her hand finding his.

 

Henry stares up at the ceiling. “Tell me about your dreams.”

 

Maddy opens her mouth in indignation. “Henry –”

 

He licks his lips. “Mad, I know your dreams have changed ever since we had Shawn. Just indulge me, for these fifteen minutes.”

 

Maddy sighs and starts playing with his fingers. “Ambition-dreams or I-dreamt-that-I-was-swimming-in-marshmallows-dreams?”

 

Henry turns his head and smiles at her. “While I would love to hear about you swimming in marshmallows and how that went, I mean ambition-dreams.”

 

Maddy nods. “Thought so.” She licks her lips and scoots closer to Henry. “I want to say work, where I’m this nationally-respected or renowned police psychologist, but that’s not true.” She turns her head to look at Henry. “Work isn’t what I live for, Henry. It’s just how I escape life. How I –” she sighs heavily and smiles sadly at him. “How I avoid a marriage that is starting to fall apart, no matter how much either of us tries to deny it.” She twists onto her side and pulls her hand away from Henry’s, using it to cup his cheek. “My dream is that one day, we’ll make it. We’ll push through this rough patch, and we’ll push through whatever rough patches are coming our way, and we’ll tell those trials to shove it because we’re married and we’re not giving that up. I want us to be a family, Henry. One that’s strong and unshakeable.”

 

Henry searches her eyes, noticing the smear of mascara just under her right eye. “I would give up my badge for that, Mad.” He shakes his head. “But I don’t know how to do it. I don’t know how we can make it.”

 

Maddy traces his cheek with her index finger. “Marriage counseling is always a place to start.” She blinks back tears. “And maybe talking is a good place to start, too.”

 

Henry nods and kisses her forehead.

 

Maddy sniffs. “What about you? Aside from saving our marriage, what are your dreams?”

 

Henry smiles softly. “Honestly? I would love to work alongside Shawn one day. And I know, he might not want it, and I know that police work is getting in the way of everything. But if I could have anything, as well as having a good marriage? I’d want to work alongside my son.”

 

Maddy nods. “Yeah,” she says softly, “I know you do.” She leans forward and gently kisses Henry. “Favorite movie?”

 

Henry laughs softly and scratches his head. “Um… _ The Godfather, _ maybe?  _ Jaws _ was good – the first one, that is – and so is  _ True Grit.” _ He shrugs. “I don’t know, Mad, I’m just…not that much of a movie person. That’s Shawn’s department. What about you?”

 

Maddy twists her lips. “I’ve got to agree with you when it comes to  _ The Godfather. _ But you also know that I’m a sucker for horror flicks.”

 

Henry nods. “I remember. I also remember that I was the one holding on to you on those movie dates.”

 

Maddy laughs and rests her forehead against Henry’s chest. “You got used to them.”

 

“Only after twelve years of being together.”

 

Maddy shakes her head. “Do you remember the day you first told me you loved me?”

 

Henry searches her eyes, studying the way her eyes shift from sapphires to glass. “Like it was yesterday,” he whispers.

 

Maddy reaches for his hand and squeezes it. “What was going on?”

 

Henry laces his fingers through Maddy’s, keeping his eyes on hers all the while. “You had come over to my place to study. I had just ordered pizza, and you were just glaring at your history notes like they personally wanted to make your life hell.” He laughs quietly. “You, uh, you were wearing one of my t-shirts and a pair of UCSB sweatpants. And, I don’t know what it was, but I had never loved you more than I did at that moment, and I had to tell you.”

 

Maddy licks her lips. “And now?”

 

“Now I love you more than I ever thought possible,” he whispers.

 

Maddy nods. “And when I first told  _ you _ that I loved you?”

 

Henry smiles brightly and twists his hand in hers, playing with her fingers. “Same night. I was eating pizza with you on the couch, and we were watching the football game on the television, and you just moved your head so you could look up at me, and you told me you loved me.”

 

Maddy kisses Henry again. “I still do, Henry. Don’t ever forget that.”

 

Henry nods once and pulls his wife closer to him. “I love you, Mad.”

 

“I love you, too, Henry. So, so much.”


	2. Take Me to the Beach (Nothing Can Go Wrong)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shawn won’t go swimming, even though Gus challenged him to a race. Henry takes him to the beach. Facing one’s fear is the only way to really get over it, you know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> I’m better now than I was the last time I updated any fic. I’m still screaming internally, but it’s a situation, chief.  
> I also forgot that this was a fic, so here is an update. I’ll get started on the episode portion in time.

Maddy shakes out a kitchen towel and points toward the living room, where Shawn sits on the couch and puzzles over the most difficult sudoku puzzle Henry had found for him. “Henry, he refuses to go swimming with Gus.”

 

Henry frowns and looks up from his banana muffin. “He won’t go swimming, even with Gus?” He sets down his muffin. “Are you sure he isn’t coming down with something?”

 

Maddy rolls her eyes and leans against the countertop, the towel still in her hand. “And what would he be coming down with in the middle of the summer, Henry?”

 

Henry shrugs and picks at his banana muffin. “I’m just saying, he never turns down a chance to race Gus in the pool. Or in the ocean, even though we all have told him not to.”

 

Maddy turns around and rests her back against the edge of the counter. “Look, Henry, he’s scared of something in the water, and he won’t tell me what it is. Now, I have to do the laundry today, and I have to wash dishes and whatnot, so would you  _ please _ talk to him and help him get over whatever fear he has?”

 

Henry quirks an eyebrow, finishes his muffin, and dumps his paper plate in the trash. “Nice to know our talk from last night stuck with you.” He rests one hand on the small of her back and leans to whisper in her ear. “We’re getting along so  _ peachy, _ am I right?”

 

Maddy glares at him. “That’s not fair.”

 

Henry steps back and holds up both hands. “It isn’t? Please, hon, tell me what changed since we fell asleep to now.” He rests his hand against the edge of the kitchen island and leans against it. “So loving, honey. What a way to make it work.”

 

Maddy’s eyes flash, and she stands up straight and crosses her arms over her chest. “Are you done?”

 

Henry lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “Maybe.” He shakes his head and waves his free hand in dismissal. “You know what? Forget it.” He starts heading towards the living room.

 

“Henry, get back here.”

 

Henry turns on his heel, throwing his hands up in the air. “What do you  _ want _ from me, Madeleine?”

 

“I want you to tell me why you’re acting up!” She shakes her head and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Look, Henry, I haven’t been feeling good all morning. If I’ve become a little snappish, I’m sorry. But that gives you  _ no _ right to snap at me.”

 

Henry clenches his jaw. “I’m going to talk to Shawn now. See all what’s going on.”

 

Maddy presses her lips together. “He’s going to know that we’ve had a fight.”

 

Henry shrugs. “So? It’s not like this is the first time we’ve fought.”

 

Maddy sighs. “Us fighting and not resolving our fights will take its toll on him eventually. You don’t want that to happen. I don’t know what exactly it’ll do to him, but it won’t be pretty.”

 

Henry sighs, ducks his head, and rubs the back of his neck. “Should –” he sighs again. “Should we try marriage counseling?”

 

Maddy nods gravely. “I think that’s a good idea. When I’m done with the laundry and whatnot, I can look into marriage counselors.”

 

Henry nods. “Sounds good.” He hooks his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to the living room. “I’m going to talk to Shawn.”

 

**

 

Well. There wasn’t much talking, if Henry’s being completely honest. He just told Shawn to change into a pair of swimming trunks, and they were going down to the beach.

 

Even for the middle of June, Shawn looks cold, and his body jerks with each shiver as he follows his father down the beach. Occasionally, Henry will turn around and help Shawn down if there are any broken beer bottles or other forms of glass.

 

They stand in front of the water, watching the waves gently lap at the shore, and Henry rocks up onto the balls of his feet. “So, why won’t you go swimming with Gus?”

 

Shawn hugs his body and turns to look at his father. “Because Gus is a turd.”

 

Henry quirks an eyebrow at his son.

 

Shawn sighs and lets his arms fall. “Well, I had that dream about drowning last night, and I’m– I’m scared.”

 

Henry tucks his hands into his pockets and shrugs. “Well, it was just a dream. It wasn’t real.”

 

Shawn licks his lips. “Gus made me watch a movie with him yesterday, and it just– it scared me.”

 

Henry furrows his brow. “What movie?”

 

Shawn winces.  _ “Jaws 4.” _

 

Henry looks at his son in bewilderment.  _ “Jaws 4?” _

 

Shawn bounces on the balls of his feet, looking like he wants to hide behind his father or run away from the ocean or  _ something. _ “Yes,  _ Jaws 4. _ It was terrifying.”

 

Henry shakes his head and turns away from the ocean for a second. Shawn looks up at him, seeming to hope that Henry has some words of comfort. “Shawn, you have to understand why I’m conflicted here. It is very difficult to comfort you over what is  _ the worst _ sequel ever made!”

 

Shawn’s fingers twitch. “Daddd.”

 

Henry takes one hand out of his pockets. “Shawn.” When he sees his son’s genuine fear, he sighs. “You are not going to be eaten by a shark. Sharks do not attack people willy-nilly.”

 

It’s a testament to how scared Shawn is when he doesn’t object to Henry’s use of the word  _ willy-nilly. _ Normally, he’d be all over it, teasing Henry about how well the phrase carbon-dates him.

 

Henry keeps going. “That’s crazy. So many random scenarios have to line up.”

 

Shawn furrows his brow, and his shoulders relax a little bit. “Really?”

 

Henry shrugs, tucking his hand back in his pocket. “Of course.” He takes both hands out of his pocket and starts counting. “First of all, the shark has to be hungry. He has to be attracted to jumping, kicking, or sudden movement in the water, or maybe even somebody with a cut.”

 

Shawn’s face pales as soon as he hears  _ jumping _ and  _ kicking. _ Knowing him, his ADHD is going to get the better of him, and he’s going to be eaten by a shark. Today. He will most definitely be eaten by a shark today. That’ll be just his luck. Trying to get some affirmation from his father over his real and true fear, he pushes a little more. “But isn’t it true that most shark attacks happen in three feet of water?”

 

Henry rolls his eyes. “Well, of course it is.” He shrugs and gestures to the water. “That’s where the swimmers are. So that’s a scute sample,” he says, tucking his hand back into his pocket.  _ Please, Shawn, for the love of God, just get in the water. Please make it easy on me today. _

 

Shawn sighs, managing to keep a tremor out of it. He glances at the water. “Should I watch for the fin?”

 

Henry purses his lips and shakes his head. “Nah. That only happens in the movies. You never see ‘em coming.” He stares out at the water, watching the way the sunlight flickers on the ocean, practically begging for people to swim. Most people lie on their beach towels and talk or flirt. The surfers are out further. “That’s why they’re called the silent killers.”

 

Shawn glares at him. “I thought that was hypertension.”

 

Henry sighs. “Either way, stop thinking about it. Could you do that?”

 

Shawn sighs again and shrugs. “Yeah. Okay.” His voice is stronger now, almost like he’s regaining some lost confidence. He looks back up at his father with a small smile. “Anyway, don’t they sleep during the day?”

 

Henry shakes his head. “No, sharks never sleep.”

 

Shawn glares at him again.

 

“Just get out there, have some fun, and remember: slow, steady movements.” He pats Shawn’s back, gently urging him forward. “Get in.”

 

Shawn takes a hesitant step forward, his toes curling around the sand.

 

“Atta boy!” Henry calls, rocking up on the balls of his feet. If Shawn remains this calm, then there won’t be anything to worry about.

 

**

 

The water is colder than normal. Or maybe it’s just that it feels colder than normal.

 

The water is still too shallow for him to actually start swimming, so he keeps walking out a little further, glancing over his shoulder just to check and see if his father is still watching him. Henry waves at him.

 

Shawn turns back around and licks his lips. Teenagers to his right splash around, hurling chunks of sand at each other. A teenage girl does a handstand, and Shawn catches sight of a shiny anklet.

 

He gulps.

 

Somehow, his foot catches the edge of a rock or a starfish or something. He can tell his foot just started bleeding, but it can’t really be all that bad, can it? And his dad would kill him if he turned around and swam back. He’d say something about how “you need to face your fears, Shawn, or you’ll never get over them.”

 

Shawn swims out further, though not so far out that his dad will have a difficult time seeing him. He just doesn’t want his new cut rubbing against the sand or whatever else is on the ocean floor.

 

As Shawn treads water in four feet of ocean, he figures he should probably ask his dad to sign him up to join the swim team. He’s not that great, he knows, but it would be nice to have the added assurance that his movements are not too jerky, but instead slow and steady. And he would be able to beat Gus more easily…

 

Something grabs his leg and forcefully pulls him under. His heart speeds up. He opens his eyes, and the ocean, instead of being dark blue, is stained red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are always appreciated!


	3. Help (I Need Somebody)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry looks back at the ocean, and he sees a pool of red right where Shawn was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I had to do it to ya in the title. You know I had to

He looks away for one second.  _ One _ damn second. When he looks back, Shawn’s disappeared underwater, but what’s more, blood pools around the area where Shawn just was.

 

“Oh God,” Henry breathes. He doesn’t register taking off his shoes, and he doesn’t register plunging into the ocean. “Shawn!” he shouts. “Shawn!”

 

He can hear people start to scream, and he remembers what’s going on now. Shark attack. Shawn is– someone has been attacked by a shark. “Someone call an ambulance!” Henry screams at the top of his lungs.

 

A small body pops up in the ocean, face down, and Henry swims faster, cursing the damn shirt he kept on. He reaches out as far as he can, turns over the little boy, and clenches his jaw when he sees that it is, indeed, Shawn. He taps Shawn’s cheek. “Shawn? Shawn, can you hear me?”

 

Shawn blinks groggily and points to his leg. “I– I cut my foot,” he slurs.

 

Henry glances down where Shawn’s pointing and tries not to react.  _ Sure did cut your foot, kid. It’s missing. _ He licks his lips and nods. “Yeah, we’ll take care of that in a second.” He looks up and searches for some sort of buoy. He needs a surfboard, or at least something similar.

 

Someone grabs Henry’s shoulder, and he looks at the person frantically. A young man pushes his surfboard out to him. “Here, get him on this. It should stabilize him.”

 

Henry nods. “Someone needs to steady the board, and two people need to lift him onto the board, just to make sure that he’s stabilized.” He glances over his shoulder and points to one of the teenagers frozen in shock. “You! Get over here! Hold onto this board!”

 

The teenager seems to snap back to the present, and he swims out to Henry and the surfer. “What do you need me to do?” he asks, shaking the water out of his hair.

 

The surfer points to the board. “Hold it steady. This guy and I have to get this kid onto the board without possibly injuring him further.” He looks at Henry. “You want head or feet?”

 

Henry clenches his jaw. “I’ll take legs. Make sure you keep his head stable.” As he moves his hands to Shawn’s hips, he notices that they’re shaking.  _ Odd, _ he thinks,  _ I’m not really that scared. Should I be? _

 

The surfer grabs Shawn’s shoulders. “On the count of three. One, two, three!” The two men lift Shawn out of the water and onto the board.

 

The teenager gags when he sees Shawn’s leg, and Henry can’t blame him.

 

Henry pulls his shirt over his head. “Hey, kid, keep holding that board. I need to tie this around his leg, staunch the blood flow as best I can.” Henry hates to say that Shawn’s lucky at all in any part of this, but at least the cut is mostly clean. It’ll make everything easier for surgery and prosthetics, if Shawn wishes to have any. He ties his shirt as tightly around Shawn’s stump as possible, then he reaches down, unbuckles his belt, and pulls it off. He wraps it as tightly as he can around Shawn’s knee, then pulls out his pocket knife and hands it to the surfer. “Get the knife and poke a hole right here. We need to cut off the circulation.”

 

The surfer nods, takes Henry’s pocket knife, and pokes a hole where Henry shows him. Satisfied, Henry buckles the belt there, takes his knife back, and takes one end of the board. “Okay, let’s get him back to shore.”

 

The surfer nods and takes the other end, leaving the teenager to retch into the ocean behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews and kudos are always appreciated!


	4. Dear God (Let Him Be Okay)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maddy hears commotion outside the house. She's curious as to what's happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep forgetting to update this fic partly because there is a second part to this story set in the actual episode, and I have yet to write this. But this first part is completed! I have finished! I will try and update relatively regularly!

_ Why is there so much commotion outside? _

 

Maddy furrows her brow, tosses the kitchen towel onto the counter, and slips out the front door, slowly walking towards the beach. People scream frantically, others shout more calmly, but there is a sense of urgency about the beach. She glances around, heads back to the front door, locks it, and starts moving back towards the beach.

 

As she shoves past the throngs of people, jostling her way through the more crowded areas, she starts to make sense of some of it.

 

“Shark attack!”

 

“Waters are unsafe!”

 

“Did he provoke it?”

 

Maddy shakes her head and keeps weaving her way through the people. She knows that Shawn was scared of the water because of  _ Jaws 4, _ but she assumes that he’s fine. Shawn, even at his most daring, is not stupid enough to provoke a shark.

 

The crowd thins closer to the edge of the water, and someone screams, “Where is the damn ambulance?” Another person shouts back that it’s five minutes out.

 

As Maddy gets closer, she catches a glimpse of Henry’s hair, and she fondly shakes her head. Of course he’d be one of the first responders to a shark attack.

 

Henry sits on his heels and runs a hand through his hair. Maddy gasps when she sees the sheer amount of blood on his hand and forearm, but it’s not enough that  _ he _ was the victim.

 

Henry fidgets and points to a young person. “You,” he says, “can you go find a doctor? We need a doctor.”

 

The teenager hesitates. “But– isn’t the ambulance –”

 

Henry leans forward, gritting his teeth. “We may not have  _ time _ by the time the ambulance gets here. Go find a doctor.”

 

Maddy licks her lips and pushes past another person. She knows Henry. She knows him better than he knows himself. He’s panicking, but somehow, he’s maintaining his cool. Her steps falter a little bit as she brings her hand up to her mouth.  _ Oh God, is it someone we know? _

 

Henry exhales, his breath barely catching. No one else notices it. He points to the surfer across from him. “Can we use your surf cord? The bleeding won’t slow down, and I’m worried that he’ll lose too much blood.”

 

The surfer nods and unstraps himself from the surf cord. “Here,” he says, passing it to Henry. “You might want to wrap it around– well, around the stump.”

 

Henry nods and ties the cord.

 

Maddy finally pushes past the last crowd of people. She can reach out and touch Henry, but there are still too many people blocking her vision, still no way of knowing who this person was. “Henry, what’s going on?”

 

“Where is that damn ambulance?”

 

“Two minutes, sir!”

 

Henry licks his lips and nods. “Okay. Okay, listen to me, kid, you’ve gotta stay with me. Don’t you dare think about dying on me.” He reaches for the victim’s hand and grabs it. “I want you to squeeze my hand. Keep your eyes on me now. Just squeeze my hand.”

 

Maddy’s heart hammers in her chest.  _ It could be any kid, _ she tries to tell herself.  _ Especially if he doesn’t know him already, or if he’s just trying to be comforting… _ She shakes her head and moves around to see who the victim is.

 

Her hand flies to her mouth. “Oh my God,” she murmurs.

 

Shawn has never been more still in his entire life, nor has he ever been this pale. His face is deathly white, almost like a ghost, but the blood seeping from his leg is red. It is dark, tinted red, staining Henry’s police shirt, soaking it through. As much as Henry and the surfer try and staunch the bleeding, it’s not enough, and Henry’s trying to find any which way to stop the bleeding.

 

Maddy’s knees buckle, and she pitches forward. A bystander grabs her around the waist and holds her up, trying to take her away from the scene, but she struggles against him, smacking his wrists as hard as she can. “That’s my son!” she screams. “Don’t you  _ dare _ take me away from my son!”

 

Henry looks up from his care of Shawn, presumably to admonish the hysterical person, but his face pales when he sees that it’s Maddy. “Mad, he should make it to the hospital. It could have been worse.”

 

Maddy gestures emphatically to Shawn’s little body. “He could –”

 

Henry holds up a hand. “Maddy, right now, I need you to be calm. If you’re not calm, he won’t be calm. If he’s not calm, he could die.”

 

Maddy glares at Henry, but she knows he’s right. He’s not looking at this as his son was just bitten by a shark, he’s treating this entire situation as he would if it were anyone else. It’s a shark attack. Plain and simple. So she nods and takes a few deep breaths.

 

Shawn weakly squeezes Henry’s hand, and Henry looks back at Shawn, torn between his duties as a police officer and a paternal need to tell Shawn that everything’s going to be alright and that Henry will protect him. He sighs and squeezes Shawn’s hand back. “Maddy, I want you to listen to me. The ambulance should be here shortly. Only one of us will be allowed to ride with him – at most – and we need to make that decision  _ right now. _ Whoever doesn’t go in the ambulance – it could be one or both of us – needs to hightail it back to the house, get in the car, and speed to the hospital. I have the cruiser at home.”

 

The surfer leans forward. “Um, sir?”

 

Henry looks at him sharply. “What?”

 

“I’m an EMT. Generally, for someone in shock this bad, we don’t let family members tag along. We need room to do our job, and in severe trauma cases like this, family members just get in the way.” The surfer sighs. “Now, that doesn’t mean that whoever’s in that ambulance won’t let you tag along, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.”

 

Maddy presses her lips together. “Shouldn’t you at least move him closer to the road? That way, the EMTs don’t have as much distance to transport him, and we’ll be closer to the house.”

 

Henry’s eyes lock onto the surfer. “Should we? Would it do him any more harm?”

 

The surfer slowly shakes his head. “I can’t see the harm in doing it as long as we keep him stable and as long as we don’t run into anyone.” He nods to the man still holding Maddy. “Can you run up ahead and tell people to clear a path?”

 

The man nods and takes off running, shouting for the crowd to make a hole.

 

The surfer then looks at Maddy. “You said he’s your son?”

 

Maddy nods, her hand reaching up to play with the necklace Shawn got her for Mother’s Day. “Yes,” she says, blinking back tears. “He’s my son.”

 

The surfer nods and moves to the front end of the surfboard, where Shawn’s head is. “Okay, that’s good. I want you to be right next to him, and I want you to hold his hand and try to keep him calm. The calmer you are, the calmer he is, and the more likely it is that he’ll be safe.”

 

Maddy moves past Henry, not even daring to look into his eyes. “Hey, Goose,” she says shakily. “I’m right here. Can you see me?” She gently brushes the hair away from his eyes. “Don’t move your head or anything. Just tell me yes or no.”

 

Shawn groans. “I- I can see you, Mom.”

 

She grabs Shawn’s hand. His hand is ice cold to the touch, and she feels like she should tell Henry, but that seems to fall under the realm of “things not to say in front of your son who has just been attacked by a shark.”

 

The surfer looks at Henry. “You’ve got it?”

 

Henry nods. “Got it.”

 

“Okay, lift.”

 

The urgency is almost undermined by the calm that the two men possess. Even Henry’s not letting himself get wrapped up in the fact that this is his son, even though that’s his shirt on Shawn’s stump, and even though it’s his son’s blood that stains his hands.

 

Maddy squeezes Shawn’s hand. “Are you cold, sweetheart?”

 

Shawn smacks his tongue. “I can’t feel much of anything.”

 

Henry’s eyes snap to the surfer’s, but the surfer just shakes his head.

 

Maddy nods and sniffs. “Well, we’ll get you a blanket real soon.”

 

Shawn squints at her. “Mom, why are you cryin’?”

 

Maddy licks her lips and shakes her head. “Oh, Goose, you know me. You know I hate the smell of fish. It wrinkles my nose.” She glances at Henry and smiles wryly. “It’s why I refuse to go fishing with your father anymore.”

 

Shawn licks his lips and lolls his head. “I’m really cold now.”

 

“We’re almost there, Goose.”

 

Shawn’s chest rises and falls rapidly. “I’m scared. What- what’s happening to me?”

 

Henry clenches his jaw. “You got hurt, son. We need to take you to the hospital, but it shouldn’t be anything the doctors can’t handle.”

 

Shawn looks back at his mother. “Is this true?”

 

Maddy nods. “Yeah, Goose, it’s true. There are going to be sirens shortly, and they might hurt your ears.” She looks at Henry, and she hopes – she  _ prays _ – that he can read in her eyes what she can’t say out loud:  _ I’m so scared, Henry. _

 

Henry offers a half-smile. “How many blue towels are on the beach, Shawn? Don’t close your eyes, just tell me how many you remember.”

 

Shawn licks his lips again and squints at his mother. “Were there– I think there were seven?” His head lolls again so that he can see his father. “Wait, are we talking solid blue or stripes?”

 

“Solid blue.”

 

Shawn sighs in relief. “Good. That’s all I was counting.”

 

Henry’s eyes flicker to the main road. EMTs rush down with a gurney, shouting orders at each other. “Now, Shawn, Mom and I may not be able to go with you, but we’ll be at the hospital. Okay?”

 

Shawn smacks his tongue. “That’s okay.”

 

The EMTs stop by them. The surfer keeps holding the board, but he starts relaying the amount of information he has thus far. “Shark attack. The kid is somewhere between eleven and thirteen. The leg was bitten off below the patella. I don’t know the full extent of his injuries, but he’s starting to go into hyper bulimic shock. These two are his parents, and his father put on a tourniquet, but the blood keeps flowing.”

 

The other EMTs nod. “Okay, we’re going to have to transfer him here. What about a pulse?”

 

Henry presses his fingers to Shawn’s remaining foot. “Fast. A little thready, but I’ve seen worse.”

 

One of the EMTs points to both Henry and Maddy. “Now, Mom and Dad, I get that you want to come with, but we can’t have that happening. If you get in your car, you can follow us to the hospital, but neither of you can come in the ambulance.”

 

Henry waits until the EMTs transfer Shawn from the board to the gurney. “I’m a police officer. I can put on the sirens.” He steps back and wraps one arm around Maddy’s waist. “Come on, hon, we’ve got to get to the cruiser.” When Maddy doesn’t budge, he leans closer to her. “We can’t do anything more. We’ve got to get to the hospital.”

 

The surfer jogs after them. “It should take them a few minutes to get him prepped for transport, so you should have time to get to your car and maybe get a shirt on.”

 

Henry looks down, seeming to notice for the first time that he is not, in fact, wearing a shirt. “You know, that might be a good idea.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, reviews and kudos are appreciated!


	5. Fear's Replacement Emotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shawn is alive and safe, but the fear starts getting to Maddy and Henry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you keeping up with my whump week, this is today's edition of whump week!  
> Originally, I had been planning to write the actual episode version of this and post it, but I haven't finished with this one yet, so I figured I should post this instead.

The beep of the heart monitor is steady, almost soothing. Henry leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Neither he nor Maddy has spoken aside from a small, “You should get some sleep” or “If you want to wash up, I’ll come get you if anything changes.” Maddy holds Shawn’s hand in both of hers, refusing to glance down at Shawn’s stumpy leg.

 

Henry sighs and digs his thumbs into his eyes. “I’ve never seen him this still,” he says quietly. He sniffs and looks up. “Even after– ever after it had all happened, he wasn’t this still.”

 

Maddy’s jaw tightens but she nods slowly, moving one hand from Shawn’s to brush his hair. “I know. I just…I want him to move around, start talking ten miles a minute, or even start fidgeting, for the love of God. Just so I know he’s okay. Just so I know that everything is going to be okay again.”

 

Henry studies his wife. “I don’t know how it happened, Mad. I looked away for one goddamn second – I heard someone shriek – and when I looked back, it was– the shark had attacked.”

 

Maddy looks down and licks her lips. “Henry, I don’t want to talk about it.” She bites her top lip. “I just hope he wakes up before tomorrow.”

 

Henry furrows his brow. “Why? Why tomorrow?” He shrugs and leans back in his chair. “I mean, I’d be happy if he woke up tomorrow, too, but with the amount of drugs swirling through his system…I’m not going to be all that depressed if he doesn’t.”

 

Maddy sighs. “I’m still heading out to my conference tomorrow.”

 

Henry clenches his jaw, and he looks to the hospital door. “Maddy? A word?”

 

Maddy leans back in her chair, her hand still holding Shawn’s. “Why can’t we talk here?”

 

“Because I’m about to get really pissed off, and apparently, we’re not supposed to say anything negative in front of a comatose patient.” He stands and tucks his hands into his pockets. The Gusters brought him a fresh change of clothes. He jerks his head in the direction of the door. “Now, Mad.”

 

Maddy clenches her jaw, leans forward, and presses a kiss to Shawn’s forehead before she gets up and follows Henry out the door.

 

Once the door closes behind them, Henry crosses his arms. “What the  _ hell, _ Madeleine?” He gestures towards Shawn’s hospital room. “You’re going to leave him  _ right now, _ right when he needs you most?”

 

Maddy presses her lips together and shakes her head. “Henry, that’s not fair.”

 

He throws his hands up in the air. “What’s not fair about it? He just got his  _ leg _ bitten off by a shark, he was on the brink of  _ death, _ and  _ you _ are still going all the way to Denver for a stupid conference!”

 

Maddy looks down and scuffs her shoe against the linoleum. “Henry, this is an important –”

 

“I don’t give a damn, Maddy! Your son needs you right now!” He takes a step forward, and he hates looming over his wife, but she looks really small right now and he’s not backing down until she cancels her trip. “Sure, he might need me! Sure, he might want me! But he needs you more than he will ever need me!  _ You’re _ his mother, and you’re walking right out on him!”

 

Maddy’s head snaps up and she points an accusatory finger at Henry’s chest. “Don’t you  _ dare _ say I’m walking out on my son!”

 

Henry spreads his hands and looks around the surprisingly empty hallway. “Is that not what you’re doing? Permanent or no, you’re still walking out on the time he needs you most.”

 

“I’m not walking out on him!”

 

“Then what do you call it?” Henry takes another step closer. “Running away?”

 

Maddy lifts her chin defiantly, forced to tilt her head back to see Henry fully. “I’m –” she presses both palms flat on Henry’s chest “–not –” she pushes against him “– running away!”

 

Henry grabs her wrists. “Maddy, I’m not asking you to stay for myself. Hell, I know I can’t. But Shawn does need you. He needs both of us. This is going to be something that will take him years to get over, and he will need you.” He pulls Maddy closer to him. “I know – I  _ know _ – that you don’t want to relive this at all, but you are a psychologist, and that’s what he needs.” He tilts his head. “You’re also his mother. Don’t you dare leave him.”

 

Maddy’s eyes well up with tears. “Henry, you weren’t even  _ scared _ when you were tending to him! What place do you have to speak?”

 

Henry’s eyes flash, and he takes a step back. “Maddy…God.” He lets go of her wrists and shakes his head, laughing bitterly. “Do you think I wasn’t scared out of my damn mind? Do you think that I didn’t want to take a moment and let myself be scared? I couldn’t do that! I’m a trained police officer, and I’ve been trained to respond to shark attacks. If I hadn’t been as calm as I was, there’s no telling what could have happened to him!”

 

Maddy rubs her nose. “Henry, I need to go to this conference.”

 

Henry sets his jaw. “If you go to that conference,” he says lowly, “I swear to God, you are not fit –”

 

Maddy’s eyes flash, and she lifts her hands, but Henry grabs her wrists. “What were you going to say, Henry?! That I’m not fit to be a mother?!”

 

Henry points to Shawn’s room. “You’re planning on going to a conference while he’s lying in a hospital bed, missing part of his leg!”

 

“Don’t you ever wonder if it’s because I’m  _ scared, _ Henry?”

 

Henry looks away from her and smiles humorlessly. “I’m scared, too, but you don’t see me running away.” He lets go of her and rests his hand on the doorknob. “Cancel your trip. There are more important things than work.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, reviews :) are appreciated :)


	6. Waking (Bright Lights and White)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shawn wakes up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is my bad. This entire fic is finished, but for some reason, I never update it. I promise there’s an ending. Anyways, here is a long overdue chapter

Shawn is not a fan of the color white.

 

In moderation, he likes it just fine. The white that tags along with Easter and Christmas is pure and soft, and he loves it. He remembers his parents taking him to a ski resort with the Gusters one winter, and he was shocked at how much white covered the ground. He likes that white. He loves it, even.

 

So maybe he should rephrase. He  _ loathes _ bright, sterile white that is only a result of hospitals and a blinding sun. He sees the sun more often. He’s seen hospital white enough.

 

When Shawn opens his eyes, he doesn’t know where to look. He knows that, as soon as he looks down at his legs, he’s going to see just how bad his incident in the ocean was, and he’s not ready for that. But looking around means staring at white and seeing the way his parents can’t even look at each other, let alone talk to one another.

 

There’s really only one thing to do. He lifts his head a little bit, expecting his parents to say something, but his dad is zoned out, his eyes transfixed on Shawn’s right leg. His mom keeps fingering the necklace he got her for Mother’s Day.

 

Shawn  _ expects _ to see a cast. He expects to see blood seeping from some sort of wound with a gross infection just beginning. When he just sees a little stump, wrapped with white gauze, he just stares.

 

What else are you supposed to do when you’re staring at only half of your leg for the first time?

 

Shawn can feel all the blood drain from his face, and he can’t move his eyes away from his leg. It just stares back at him, this– this freak of nature, this…this  _ disability. _ He knows he can’t run around anymore. He won’t be able to play anymore. He knows that, once school starts again, he’s going to be the subject of every single taunt and snicker. No one will be able to look at him the same.

 

“I’m a freak,” he says quietly.

 

His dad lifts his head at these words, and his face falls when he catches where Shawn’s looking. He sighs and reaches for Shawn’s hand. “You’re not a freak, Shawn,” he says gently, squeezing Shawn’s hand. “It was just an accident.”

 

Shawn shakes his head. “No, I’m a freak, Dad. I don’t even have all my legs.”

 

His mom smiles tightly at him. “And you think that you need all your legs?” She presses her lips together and leans forward, gently brushing the hair out of his eyes. “Shawn, if this is what it took for you to come out of that shark attack alive, then by God, I’m glad it happened.” She stands from her chair and kisses Shawn’s forehead. “I’m so glad that you’re alive.”

 

Shawn glares icily at his father. “I told you that I was scared of the ocean because of  _ Jaws 4, _ and you told me there was nothing to worry about.”

 

Henry nods solemnly and scrubs his face with both hands. “I know.”

 

Shawn’s face scrunches the more he looks at his leg, and snot starts running out of his nose. “M-Mom, no– no one’s gonna l-look at me the s-  _ same, _ and everyone’s gonna make fun of-of me –”

 

Maddy moves closer to her son, but the guardrails on the hospital bed prevent her from getting too close. “No, no, sweetie, they won’t make fun of you.” She presses her cheek to Shawn’s head. “No, nobody is that cruel.”

 

Shawn shakes his head and presses his lips together. Tears run hot and fast down his cheeks, and he hasn’t cried in front of his father since he was six years old, but this is  _ different, _ okay? This is all his fault in the first place. “You– you don’t kno-know them, Mom. They’ll ma-make fun of me.”

 

Henry pinches the skin on his hand and keeps his eyes trained on Shawn. He doesn’t admonish him for crying. Hell, even he wants to cry right now. He feels like it’s justified.

 

Maddy squeezes Shawn’s other hand. “Shawn, sometimes…” She takes a shaky breath. “Sometimes bad things happen. I don’t know why, but they just happen.”

 

Shawn tugs his hand from his father’s and hastily wipes his face. “You’re not gonna say it was  _ my  _ fault?”

 

Henry shakes his head slowly. “Of course not. It wasn’t your fault. It was just– it was a freak accident, and I should have been watching you more closely. I should have gone with you, or I should have made you get in the pool first.” He hangs his head. “God, Shawn, this isn’t your fault. This could never be your fault. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”

 

Maddy places her free hand on Shawn’s shoulder. “Shawn, your father saved your life.”

 

Shawn wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. “But why?”

 

Shawn doesn’t miss the hurt that flashes in his father’s eyes, the way his face falls for just a brief second. Henry clenches his jaw, and for a moment, Shawn thinks he sees tears in his father’s eyes.

 

Henry swallows heavily. “Because you’re my son,” he says thickly, resting his hand on the nearest part of Shawn he can reach. He clears his throat and tries again. “Because you’re my son, and I love you.” He pulls his hand away. “They, uh, they put out an order to catch the shark that attacked you. There’s a major reward from the mayor if someone catches it.”

 

Shawn furrows his brow. “But how will they know?”

 

Henry sighs, digs in his pocket, and holds up a shark tooth. “This was embedded in your knee. I didn’t notice it at first, but the EMTs said that it actually helped slow the bleeding.” He looks away from his son and studies the shark tooth before tucking it back into his pocket. “I can throw it out if you want, but I thought it might be a cool necklace. A good survivor story.” He shrugs and rubs the back of his neck. “The missing tooth should help identify if the shark they caught was the killer or not.”

 

Shawn looks down at the hospital sheets and picks at the lint. “Can– can you tell the mayor to call it off? I’m not a fan of sharks or anything, and I really hate them, but what’s the point in crowding the oceans searching for an unfindable animal?”

 

Henry nods slowly. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

 

Shawn’s nod is almost imperceptible. “There’s no use, right?” He pinches his nose and lets his hand fall. “Mom, you’re staying, right?” He licks his lips. “I- I mean, I know you have a conference and all and I know that it’s very important, but– you– you don’t have to stay, I know it’s a lot to ask –”

 

Maddy glances at Henry and looks back to Shawn. “I’m not going anywhere, Shawn. You need me. That’s enough for me to cancel every last trip that I may have.” She kisses Shawn’s forehead again. “You are the most important person in the world to me, Shawn. Nothing could take me from you, Goose.”

 

Shawn lolls his head. “Dad?”

 

“I have a couple weeks of leave. I’m sticking with you as long as possible.” When he’s sure that Shawn’s not looking at him anymore, he finds Maddy’s eye and mouths, “Thank you,” to her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, reviews and kudos are appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Like it, love it, hate it? Leave a comment below or go to my tumblr, @ my-glasses-are-dirty, and tell me what you think!


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